The NCAA will expand its DIvision I basketball tournaments from 68 to 76 teams next season. The change isn't expected to radically disrupt the familiar bracket for most casual fans. Here is a breakdown of some key numbers to know:
0 — The number of mid-major schools that advanced past the first weekend of either tournament the last two seasons.
1 in 9.2 quintillion — The estimated odds against picking a perfect bracket even before adding eight games to the mix.
4 — Games matching No. 12 seeds and No. 16 seeds in the opening round.
8 — The number of teams being added to each tournament (men and women). It's also the number of new games being added to each tourney.
15 — The number of years since the NCAA last expanded the tournaments (from 64 to 68 in 2011).
120 — Total number of games for the two tournaments over seven days between the bracket announcement and the conclusion of the secound round.
131 — As in $131 million, the amoung of new revenue the NCAA expects to share with tournament participants under the expansion.
300 — As in $300 million, the extra funding the NCAA expects to get from new advertising opportunities tied to expansion, including the addition of liqour ads that had largely been off limits.
2032 — The year the current $8.8 billion broadcast deal between the NCAA and partners like CBS, TNT and others expires, raising the potential for more change.
350,000 — As in $350,000, the value of a NCAA-distributed "unit' for a men's team that reached the tournament.
May 5, 2026; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham (2) dribbles defended by Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell (45) in the second half during game one of the second round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Little Caesars Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images | Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images
Perhaps even better than taking Game 1 of the series against the Cleveland Cavaliers is that the Detroit Pistons best player, Cade Cunnigham, didn’t actually play that well until the closing minutes when he needed to put the game away. The fact that the Pistons were able to walk away with a 111-101 win despite a subpar offensive showing from Cade. If you remove the final 5 minutes of crunch time, the star point guard was just 5-of-17 with equal parts turnovers and assists — four. The Pistons were thriving because so many other players were performing so well. Jalen Duren had more freedom than against the Magic, the ball was moving more freely side to side, which opened up shots for Duncan Robinson and driving lanes for Daniss Jenkins. Yes, the Pistons might not be able to rely on a plus-9 free-throw advantage tonight, but this might also be a much better Cunningham performance. If the Pistons can play as loose on offense, as intense on defense, and Cade unlocks more of his game, the Pistons could be up 2-0 by the end of the night. They will need to continue to force Donovan Mitchell and James Harden into tough looks while at the same time not losing sight of Cleveland’s big men or its roster of reliable shooters. But Detroit certainly has the defense capable of answering that call.
Game Vitals
When: 7 p.m. ET Where: Little Caesars Arena, Detroit, Michigan Watch: Prime Video Odds: Pistons -3.5
The Lakers have been without their leading scorer since April 2 when he suffered a Grade 2 hamstring strain in a loss against the Thunder. Doncic missed the Lakers' remaining regular-season games and start of the postseason, including a first round, 4-2 series win against the Houston Rockets.
The Lakers advanced to face the Thunder in the conference semifinals, where they are down 1-0, following a 108-90 loss in Game 1 on May 5.
Doncic has been seen shooting at Lakers' practices. He told reporters after their Wednesday practice that he is doing "everything he can" to get back on the court and join the team in the playoff battle amidst a championship chase.
"I'm feeling good and working out every day, trying to come back," Doncic told reporters. "Right now, I'm running, but I haven't done any contact."
Luka Doncic’s first press conference since he injured his hamstring on April 2. He said his timeline to return to the #Lakers was 8 weeks. He’s ramping up. But still a ways to go. pic.twitter.com/Qux41bcTO0
A game to suit departing Stones, West Ham’s Pablo under scrutiny against Arsenal and Maddison can rouse Spurs
Liverpool have eased one self-inflicted headache by listening to their fans and scrapping plans to raise some ticket prices for the next three seasons. Anfield’s attention can now focus squarely on eradicating another as Arne Slot’s side seek to salvage a desperately poor season with Champions League qualification. Liverpool will secure a top-five finish should they beat Chelsea and Bournemouth fail to win at Fulham. Slot could not have hand-picked a better opponent to potentially complete the job than the shambles that is this Chelsea team, even taking into account his frontline injury-list. The visitors are a collection of individual egos who turn up when they feel like it, which is Wembley and the FA Cup on current evidence. Chelsea have lost seven successive league games only once in their history – from November to December 1952 – but could equal that unwanted record with defeat at Anfield. They have lost their last two away matches by a three-goal margin, conceded at least three times in four of their last five league games, and it would surprise no one if they decide to save themselves for the FA Cup final. Andy Hunter
Liverpool v Chelsea, Saturday 12.30pm (all times BST)
Guard Sam Merrill was ruled out for Game 2 of the Cleveland Cavaliers’ Eastern Conference semifinals series against the Detroit Pistons Thursday night with a left hamstring strain.
Merrill was on the court testing the leg during warmups, according to reports, but the team announced he would not play after he returned to the locker room.
He exited Game 1 on Tuesday after just 6 minutes and 41 seconds. He underwent an MRI on Wednesday and did not practice. Now, the Cavaliers, already down 1-0 in the series, are facing Detroit’s defense without their best shooter.
That’s a big issue for the Cavs.
The Pistons basically dared the Cavaliers to beat them from outside in Game 1. Without Merrill, Cleveland struggled. The Cavs turned the ball over 20 times, and the Pistons converted that into 31 points in the 111-101 win. Donovan Mitchell and James Harden combined for 45 points but also combined for 10 of those turnovers.
Merrill shot 42.1% from 3 during the regular season and averaged a career high of 12.8 points. He is in the first year of a four-year, $38 million extension with Cleveland.
“You can’t replace what Sam brings,” forward Jaylon Tyson said Wednesday. "He’s a key piece of this team. Our best shooter. Somebody’s got to step up for him.”
Tyson, Keon Ellis and Dennis Schroder figure to absorb the minutes. In Game 1 without Merrill, that trio shot 5-of-11 from 3 and combined for 22 points in 56 minutes
Rick Tocchet didn’t hide from the daunting thought of a 3-0 series deficit against the Eastern Conference’s top seed.
To put it simply, the Flyers needed to win Game 3 in this best-of-seven second-round matchup. Without dumping a load of pressure on his players before the game, the head coach knew it.
Once again, the Flyers were unable to crack the Hurricanes as they lost Thursday night, 4-1, at Xfinity Mobile Arena.
Trevor Zegras made it a 1-1 game 2:31 minutes into the second period when he scored on a delayed penalty. But Carolina picked apart the Flyers on special teams with two power play goals and one at shorthanded.
“It’s tough to come back in a series 3-0, I’m going to be honest with you,” Tocchet said at morning skate. “We win this game, we’re back in the series. If we lose, now we’re really behind the eight ball.”
They’re behind by three games and now have to be perfect for four straight if they want to somehow keep their season alive.
In the history of the NHL, only four teams have survived a 3-0 series hole. The Flyers, of course, were one of them. They pulled it off in the second round of the 2010 playoffs and made a run to the Stanley Cup Final.
The Hurricanes have yet to lose in these playoffs. They’ve won all seven of their games and have surrendered just eight goals.
Going back to the start of the 2021-22 season, the Flyers have lost 19 of their last 22 games against Carolina.
The first dagger was from Andrei Svechnikov on the power play, which put the Flyers down 3-1 just 3:52 minutes into the third period. Cam York was in the penalty box for goaltender interference.
The final dagger came from Nikolaj Ehlers, who padded the Hurricanes’ lead on a breakaway. Rasmus Ristolainen made a poor read when he pinched in the neutral zone.
Jordan Staal handed Carolina a 1-0 first-period lead with a power play goal. Sean Couturier was in the penalty box for tripping. Jalen Chatfield swung the game in the second period when he gave the Hurricanes the lead on the penalty kill.
The Flyers were on the power play after Travis Sanheim was boarded by Taylor Hall. Sanheim and his teammates weren’t happy with Hall, who had a five-minute major penalty reduced to a two-minute minor.
Carolina netminder Frederik Andersen stopped 18 of the Flyers’ 19 shots.
The 36-year-old has held the Flyers to just three goals in the series. The Flyers have scored only eight goals over their last six games after putting up 11 through the first three games of the playoffs.
The Flyers had some quality looks early on Thursday night, but they couldn’t shake their scoring struggles.
Travis Konecny was denied just 59 seconds into the action after he found his way behind the Hurricanes’ defense. Porter Martone hit the post 3:36 minutes later and then Alex Bump was denied in close with 8:11 minutes left in the first period.
Jaccob Slavin, one of the league’s top defenders, kept the Flyers off the board with 1:35 minutes to go in the opening stanza. After a Ristolainen shot snuck through Andersen, the Carolina defenseman corralled the puck and flung it away before it could cross the goal line.
• After giving up the go-ahead shorthanded goal, the Flyers’ power play had 1:15 minutes of a 5-on-3 opportunity. The Hurricanes’ bench was hit with an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty. The Flyers’ power play, however, failed to take advantage of a golden chance to tie the game.
A prevailing opinion coming into the playoffs was that the league-worst power play would cost the Flyers at some point. It absolutely did in Game 3.
The Flyers have gone 3 for 33 on the power play in the playoffs.
DETROIT, MI - MAY 5: Jarrett Allen #31 of the Cleveland Cavaliers drives to the basket during the game against the Detroit Pistons during Round Two Game One of the 2026 NBA Playoffs on May 5, 2026 at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, Michigan. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Chris Schwegler/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
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On Tuesday night, the 2026 NHL Draft Lottery was conducted. The Toronto Maple Leafs won the first overall pick, the San Jose Sharks won the second overall pick, and every non-playoff team was pushed down in reverse order of the standings.
The Vancouver Canucks dropped down to third, which means the Blackhawks ended up with the fourth overall pick. That isn’t the ideal outcome for either team, but both will still get an incredible prospect.
Blackhawks GM Kyle Davidson confirmed that he is interested in the best player available, no matter what their position is, assuming he doesn’t trade the pick. This is how the draft could look for the 16 lottery teams with the Blackhawks selecting 4th:
1. Toronto Maple Leafs - Gavin McKenna, LW, Penn State
Winning the draft lottery changed the entire off-season outlook for the Toronto Maple Leafs. Instead of trading Auston Matthews or Matthew Knies, they could add Gavin McKenna to play with them at even strength and on the power play. His skills are close to being NHL-ready, and he should be a star in short order.
2. San Jose Sharks - Chase Reid, D, Sault Ste. Marie
For a long time, Ivar Stenberg was a lock to be right there with McKenna for first overall. However, San Jose winning the second overall pick changes things a bit. They need prospect depth on defense, and there are three elite ones for them to think about here. Ultimately, Chase Reid's two-way game gets him compared to Islanders defenseman Matthew Schaefer. Only time will tell if he can be that good, but the base could make the Sharks think twice about passing him.
3. Vancouver Canucks - Caleb Malhotra, C, Brantford
Vancouver needs help down the middle more than help on the wing. That may make them consider Caleb Malhotra, whose father Manny is the head coach for their AHL team, the Abbotsford Canucks. Caleb is a strong two-way centerman who has flown up the draft board this season because of his dominance with Brantford.
4. Chicago Blackhawks - Ivar Stenberg, LW, Frolunda
Ivar Stenberg falling to the Chicago Blackhawks is the best-case scenario for them, but it is very possible that they get him due to the circumstances ahead of them in the draft. Drafting Stenberg would give Anton Frondell a friend and World Junior teammate to play with, in addition to a winger who can make all of their centers more lethal.
5. New York Rangers - Keaton Verhoeff, D, North Dakota
Keaton Verhoeff, who may have the highest offensive ceiling of any defenseman in the draft, would be perfect for the suddenly rebuilding New York Rangers. Learning from a star like Adam Fox would be great for his development, and he could be able to help them get back to winning sooner rather than later.
6. Calgary Flames - Carson Carels, D, Prince George
The Calgary Flames round out a clear top-six in the draft. Carson Carels, whether he's the first, second, or third defender drafted, is going to make the team that selects him very happy. The Calgary Flames could be the team of the decade in the 2030s with the rate at which they're building, and Carels would be just another great weapon.
7. Seattle Kraken - Alberts Smits, D, Jukurit
The Seattle Kraken would see a major improvement on their blue line in their organization if they selected Alberts Smits. They are desperate for star power there, and Smits could develop into a star. For a young player who was an Olympian for Latvia and was very good, he could be on an NHL roster quickly after being drafted.
8. Winnipeg Jets - Daxon Rudolph, D, Prince Albert
The Winnipeg Jets did not expect to be in this spot after winning the President's Trophy in 2024-25. Now, they have a chance to add a great prospect with what they hope is a one-off top-ten pick. Adding Daxon Rudolph so he can develop in their system could help them sustain success once they get back on track.
9. Florida Panthers - Tynan Lawrence, C, Boston University
Perhaps even more than the Winnipeg Jets, the Florida Panthers having a top-ten pick is shocking. The Chicago Blackhawks fully anticipated landing a second first-round pick from Florida in this draft, but their landing in the top ten pushes it back a year. Tynan Lawrence from Boston University would be a great get for them, as they could add another strong center to the mix.
Viggo Bjorck would be perfect for the Nashville Predators. He was one of Sweden's best young players alongside Stenberg and Blackhawks prospect Anton Frondell this year. Bjorck played a big role in Sweden winning Gold at the World Juniors, and now he has the opportunity to make waves as an NHL prospect.
11. St. Louis Blues - Oscar Hemming, RW, Boston College
Boston College has been pumping out first-round NHL prospects at a high rate for years now. Oscar Hemming is the best one coming out this year, and the St. Louis Blues make so much sense for a winger like him. Whether they trade Robert Thomas and/or Jordan Kyrou or not, Hemmings is a winger worth drafting and developing.
12. New Jersey Devils - J.P. Hurlbert, LW, Kamloops
The New Jersey Devils are always looking for new wingers to give a chance with Jack Hughes or Nico Hischier. J.P. Hurlbert, who will play for Michigan next season, would fit in well with New Jersey, which has been great at drafting Wolverines. At Michigan, Hurlbert should be one of the best players in college hockey and help lead a dominant team.
13. New York Islanders - Ethan Belchetz, LW, Windsor
The New York Islanders didn't get as lucky in this lottery as they did in the last one, but their pipeline of young players is very strong. Ethan Belchetz, out of Windsor, is another one to add to the mix.
14. Columbus Blue Jackets - Adam Novotny, LW, Peterborough
The Columbus Blue Jackets need to continue adding young forwards to the group if they want to sustain their success once they start to reach it regularly. Adam Novotny is good for them at 14.
15. St. Louis Blues via Detroit Red Wings - Brooks Rogowski, RW, Oshawa
The St. Louis Blues have yet another lottery pick in the 2026 NHL Draft, as they will add the 15th overall selection to their crop of young players. Here, it's Brooks Rogowski, another winger.
16. Washington Capitals - Ryan Lin, D, Vancouver
The future of Alex Ovechkin in the NHL is near the top of mind in the hockey world, but the Washington Capitals will be thinking about their organizational future when they come up to make the 16th overall pick in the draft. Ryan Lin of Vancouver is a great defenseman who could help their blue line's potential for years to come.
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DETROIT (AP) — Cleveland Cavaliers reserve guard Sam Merrill is out of the lineup with a hamstring injury against the Detroit Pistons in Game 2 of their second-round series on Thursday night.
Merrill was injured early in a Game 1 loss to the Pistons on Tuesday night. He had an MRI and was held out of practice on Wednesday.
The 29-year-old Merrill averaged 12.8 points during the regular season and scored in double digits twice in the seven-game, first-round series against the Toronto Raptors.
The Philadelphia Flyers have been a great story this year, and they are in the second round of the playoffs this spring because of it. Yet, with the Flyers still being a team that is focused on the future, they will certainly be hoping to have success at the 2026 NHL Entry Draft.
The Flyers have their first-round pick for this year's draft. In his most recent mock draft for The Athletic, Scott Wheeler predicted that the Flyers would end up selecting defenseman Juho Piiparinen with their first-rounder this summer.
Piiparinen is a big right-shot defenseman with good upside, so it would make a lot of sense if the Flyers decided to select him with their first-round pick this year. The 6-foot-3 blueliner is known for his steady defensive play, and he could be a nice pickup for the Flyers because of it.
Piiparinen played in 29 games this season with Tappara of Finland's Liiga, where he recorded three assists and a plus-6 rating. He also played in 15 games for Tappara's U20 team, where he posted one goal and 13 points.
With the Flyers needing help on the right side of their blueline, it would make sense if they took a chance on Piiparinen with their first-round pick. The potential for him to blossom into a top-four defenseman is there, and it is no secret that NHL teams will forever value big right-shot blueliners like him. Thus, it would not be a bad thing at all if the Flyers added him to their system.
The Mets lost to the Rockies on Thursday after Craig Kimbrel allowed a grand slam.
DENVER — Craig Kimbrel didn’t record an out until he faced his fifth batter Thursday, by which time the Mets’ sweep dreams had been mostly obliterated.
Offensively, the Mets sputtered following a recent uptick, but the afternoon went haywire in the eighth inning when Kimbrel entered a tie game against the Rockies and loaded the bases with nobody out. Jake McCarthy smashed the second pitch for a grand slam, sending the Mets to a 6-2 loss at Coors Field that snapped their three-game winning streak.
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Kimbrel, chosen to pitch the eighth a day after the Mets used much of their bullpen and then went heavy on relief following a short Christian Scott start, threw a 94-mph fastball that McCarthy hooked around the right field foul pole — the home run call stood on replay — leaving the Mets feeling Rocky Mountain low.
“There is not really an angle there where you can tell if it’s fair or foul,” manager Carlos Mendoza said. “And it didn’t go our way there.”
Luke Weaver, who pitched an inning the previous night, is Mendoza’s preferred choice in the eighth inning but was unavailable. That left the job to the 37-year-old Kimbrel, who previously had given the Mets three straight scoreless appearances.
“We had to use a lot of our guys [Wednesday], and some of them weren’t available today,” Mendoza said. “I am not going to blame that on them. We had chances today.”
The Mets fell to 4-2 on the road trip and will begin a three-game series Friday at Arizona.
Kimbrel allowed singles to TJ Rumfield and Troy Johnston to begin the winning rally before walking Willi Castro to load the bases. McCarthy jumped on the second pitch.
Craig Kimbrel reacts after allowing a grand slam during the Mets’ May 7 loss to the Rockies. APJake McCarthy hits a grand slam during the Rockies’ May 7 win over the Mets. AP
“On the home run pitch, it was location; I was trying to go up and I aimed it down,” Kimbrel said.
At the plate, the Mets went 1-for-9 with runners in scoring position.
Scott was removed at 82 pitches before he could face the Rockies a third time through the order. The right-hander allowed one earned run on three hits and two walks over 4 ²/₃ innings with six strikeouts. Scott, returning from a missed season rehabbing from Tommy John surgery, will be handled with care, according to Mendoza.
Jake McCarthy rounds the bases during the Rockies’ May 7 win over the Mets. Getty Images
“We had a number of pitches in mind, and he pretty much went over that number of pitches,” Mendoza said. “He did his part. We just couldn’t close it out.”
It was Scott’s second start of this road trip in which he kept the Mets in the game. Last week, he held the Angels to three earned runs over five innings before the Mets rallied for the victory.
“[The Rockies] did a good job of making me work the second time through the order,” Scott said. “I would have liked to work deeper into the game, but they did a good job of making me battle there.”
The Mets jumped on Jose Quintana for two runs in the second to take a 2-0 lead. Andy Ibáñez drove in the first run with a sacrifice fly and Tyrone Taylor’s RBI single extended the lead. Austin Slater’s leadoff single and Marcus Semien’s ensuing walk started the rally, with the runners advancing to second and third on a wild pitch.
Juan Soto’s one-out triple in the third was wasted when Mark Vientos, following a walk to Bo Bichette, grounded into an inning-ending double play.
Mark Vientos breaks his bat during the Mets’ May 7 loss to the Rockies. Getty Images
Scott sailed into the fourth before allowing an RBI single to Castro that trimmed the Mets’ lead to 2-1. Tyler Freeman bunted for a single and Johnston walked before Castro delivered. But with runners on the corners, Scott struck out McCarthy to avoid further damage.
Huascar Brazobán got the final out in the fifth after Scott walked Edouard Julien and was removed. Brazobán surrendered a bloop RBI double to McCarthy in the sixth that tied it 2-2. Austin Warren walked Kyle Karros to load the bases before striking out Brett Sullivan to end the inning.
Soto batted with runners on first and second in the seventh, following walks to Francisco Alvarez and Vidal Brujan, but popped up for the final out.
“You are always trying to get [the sweep],” Mendoza said. “But then you look back and say, ‘OK, we won the series, move on to the next one.’ That is the bottom line. We have got to continue to win series.”
The St. Louis Cardinals head to Southern California for a four-game series with the San Diego Padres beginning Thursday night.
The opener features Matthew Liberatore and Michael King on the bump, and will be televised on ESPN at 10 p.m. ET.
My Cardinals vs. Padres predictions and MLB picks for Thursday, May 7 are taking a shot on the underdog Redbirds to win outright.
Who will win Cardinals vs Padres tonight: Cardinals moneyline (+150)
The San Diego Padres are a tad overvalued in this spot due to starting pitcher Michael King’s 2.95 ERA.
He’s achieved that with a bit of smoke and mirrors. His botERA of 5.21 is a red flag, as is his career-low Stuff+ (93) — down from 101 a year ago.
The St. Louis Cardinals rake against right-handed pitching (109 wRC+). San Diego is less potent against LHP (88 wRC+) and will face southpaw Matthew Liberatore (4.39 botERA, 99 Stuff+).
I’ll take the value with the Cardinals, winners in seven of their last nine contests and one of the hottest teams in The Show.
COVERS INTEL:King has pitched around loud contact (20th percentile barrel rate) thus far, but that’ll be difficult to manage against a St. Louis ballclub with the second-highest barrel rate (11.1%).
Cardinals vs Padres Over/Under pick: Under 8 (+102)
This is a high total for a night game at Petco Park, which has the second-lowest Park Factor (97).
San Diego’s poor results against LHP (.661) inspire bearishness on the offense, whereas King has been effective enough on the mound to demand a certain level of respect.
Mason Miller leads a Padres bullpen with a stellar 3.18 SIERA (second in MLB). The Cardinals will have all of their top relief arms available and are well-rested thanks to Tuesday’s rainout, and closer Riley O’Brien (1.43 FIP) has thrown just three pitches in the last four days.
JD Yonke's 2026 Transparency Record
ML/RL bets: 10-9, -0.99 units
Over/Under bets: 13-7, +5.62 units
Cardinals vs Padres odds
Moneyline: Cardinals +150 | Padres -178
Run line: Cardinals +1.5 | Padres -1.5
Over/Under: Over 8 | Under 8
Cardinals vs Padres trend
The Cardinals have won five of Liberatore’s seven starts. Find more MLB betting trends for Cardinals vs. Padres.
How to watch Cardinals vs Padres and game info
Location
Petco Park, San Diego, CA
Date
Thursday, May 7, 2026
First pitch
10:10 p.m. ET
TV
ESPN
Cardinals starting pitcher
Matthew Liberatore (1-1, 4.50 ERA)
Padres starting pitcher
Michael King (3-2, 2.95 ERA)
Cardinals vs Padres latest injuries
Cardinals vs Padres weather
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
I’m running out of superlatives to describe what the 2026 Chicago Cubs are doing, but I’m certainly going to try, because the Cubs keep topping themselves every single day.
On a coolish Thursday afternoon at Wrigley Field, the Cubs decided they’d had enough of late-inning comebacks and walk-off wins and instead dominated the Reds in nearly every aspect of the game, winning 8-3. That gave the Cubs a four-game sweep, nine wins in a row and 15 consecutive victories at Wrigley Field. The latter streak is the second-longest home winning streak for the Cubs in the Modern Era.
Let’s begin at the beginning. Shōta Imanaga had s solid first two innings, allowing a single in each but also striking out a pair in each.
The wind was shifting all over the place during the game. At the time of Conforto’s homer, it was blowing in pretty good — he nailed that blast at 105 miles per hour.
Imanaga allowed one more hit in the third and issued a walk in the fourth. None of the Reds runners through four got past first base.
The Cubs blew the game open in the bottom of the fourth, in part due to a brain fart from Reds catcher Tyler Stephenson.
Reds starter Rhett Lowder walked the first two hitters in the inning, Alex Bregman and Ian Happ. Then he threw ball one to Michael Busch and left the game with the trainer. This is why:
Rhett Lowder left today’s game with right shoulder discomfort.
Ke’Bryan Hayes stepped on third, retiring Busch. But that took the force play off at the plate, and Stephenson needed to tag Happ for an out, and as you can see… he did not do that. What Hayes probably should have done is throw home; that might have resulted in a 1-2-3 double play. But he didn’t, and Happ was safe, making the score 3-0.
As you can see, the throw beat Amaya to the plate, but Stephenson couldn’t hold on to the ball. While that throw came in, Nico took third, where he scored on this sac fly by Moisés Ballesteros [VIDEO].
Here are some facts about the Cubs’ seven-run fourth from BCB’s JohnW53:
The Cubs’ seven-run fourth inning was their biggest outburst of the season. They had scored five runs three times: April 1 at home the vs. Angels, April 8 at Tampa and April 13 at Philadelphia.
This was the Cubs’ 22nd game since the last of those.
They last had seven runs in a 12-1 win at home over the Cardinals on Sept. 26 of last year. That was 42 games ago.
The Cubs had two other seven-run innings last year and an eight-run eruption on May 20 in a 14-1 romp at Miami.
Imanaga continued to dominate. He finally allowed a Reds runner past first base in the fifth on a single and walk, and a solo home run by Sal Stewart made it 8-1. As we know, home runs have been a problem for Imanaga, but I think we can forgive a solo homer with an eight-run lead. He’s still allowed just four home runs this year in 47.1 innings.
This was the 16th quality start by a Cubs pitcher and the team-high fifth by Imanaga. He has allowed one run in three of his five and none in the two others.
Edward Cabrera has four; Jameson Taillon, three; Colin Rea, two; and Matthew Boyd and Cade Horton, one. With the win today, the Cubs are 14-2 when they get a QS. ….. Imanaga’s 10 strikeouts were one shy of his career high, achieved twice: Sept. 16, 2024 at home vs. the Athletics and April 15 this year at Philadelphia. He pitched 6.0 innings in both games.
He had 10 twice before, both at home, in 7.0: July 21, 2024 vs. the Diamondbacks and Aug. 6, 2024 vs. the Twins. The Cubs won all four games.
Trent Thornton, just up from Triple-A Iowa and off his solid 10th inning Wednesday night, threw a scoreless seventh, allowing a hit and a walk. Gavin Hollowell, also up from Iowa replacing Corbin Martin on Thursday, served up a solo homer to Blake Dunn in the eighth. Then he was left in to throw the ninth, likely Craig Counsell wanting to save all his leverage relievers in a blowout.
This did not work. Hollowell struck out the first batter he faced in the ninth, then issued a walk. A fly to center was the second out, but another walk followed that. Hollowell did get JJ Bleday to pop a ball into short center, but too shallow for PCA to catch. It dropped for a double, scoring the Reds’ third run. After another walk loaded the bases, Daniel Palencia had to be summoned, something I’m sure Counsell did not want to do on this day, especially since it began raining in the middle of all that.
In fairness to Hollowell, he threw 49 pitches in this game. He hadn’t thrown that many in any of his outings at Iowa this year, and hadn’t thrown as many as 40 since April 2. He likely just ran out of gas.
Palencia painted the inside corner with a 100 mile per hour fastball. Lowe challenged — I mean, what did he have to lose? But it was a strike, and the game ended. And since the tying run was on deck when Palencia entered the game, he qualified for a save. Fortunately, it was a quick seven-pitch outing.
The Cubs did nearly everything right in this series, coming from behind, taking advantage of situations, and in this game using that advantage to make it a blowout. Nine wins in a row. Fifteen straight at home, the franchise record in the Modern Era is 18, set in 1935, the year the team won 21 in a row on the way to the NL pennant (the last three of that streak were on the road). John tells me that “it appears” the Cubs have never won two entire homestands of at least seven games in a single season — until this year. Good stuff, Cubs. Keep it going. The Cubs now lead the NL Central by four games over the second-place Cardinals. The Pirates are third, five games back; the Brewers, fourth at 5.5 behind; and the Reds, who have lost seven in a row, are last, six games behind the Cubs.
Lastly, let me say a mea culpa about Conforto. I wasn’t in favor of this signing, didn’t see the point, thought Dylan Carlson might be a better bench bat. Conforto has been outstanding in his limited role and after going 3-for-3 in this game with a walk, two runs scored and two RBI, he is batting .361/.467/.667 (13-for-36) with five doubles and two home runs. Granted, small sample size, but he’s proven to be a really useful player and seems to have accepted this role well.
The Cubs head on the road, where the first stop is Arlington, Texas, to face the Rangers in a three-game series beginning Friday evening. The Cubs starter for the series opener is listed as TBD for now. That would have been Matthew Boyd’s turn. It’s possible Javier Assad, who threw 17 pitches on Tuesday, could take the start. Kumar Rocker will start for Texas. Game time Friday is 7:05 p.m. CT and TV coverage will be via Marquee Sports Network.
DENVER, COLORADO - MAY 7: Jake McCarthy #31 of the Colorado Rockies celebrates after his sixth inning RBI double against the New York Mets at Coors Field on May 7, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Dustin Bradford/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The skies cleared, the temperatures rose, the snow melted, and the Rockies played a game of make-up baseball on a Thursday afternoon with the goal of ending their homestand with a win and snapping a six-game losing streak.
Thanks to excellent pitching and an unexpected hero, the Rockies did just that as they defeated the New York Mets at Coors Field, 6-2.
Happy Anniversary
Left-handed veteran José Quintana continued to settle in as a solid contributor in the Rockies’ pitching rotation. Quintana turned in his third straight outing of allowing two runs or fewer while going at least five innings.
On the 14th anniversary of his Major League debut (originally with the Chicago White Sox), Quintana worked 5.2 innings and allowed two earned runs on five hits and two walks. Two of those hits and both earned runs came in the second inning, where a leadoff walk and a single got Quintana into trouble early. A wild pitch and a single would plate two, but Quintana was sharp for the remainder of his outing. After giving up a two out single in the top of the sixth inning, he was lifted for reliever Juan Mejia, who ended the frame with a quick flyout.
After today, Quintana joins Tomoyuki Sugano and Chase Dollander as members of the Rockies’ rotation with a sub-4.00 ERA at this stage in the season.
The Rockies bullpen had another solid afternoon in relief of José Quintana, doing exactly what was needed and keeping the Mets off the scoreboard until the final pitch.
Juan Mejia struggled somewhat with his command and walked two batters, but he also tallied two strikeouts in his single inning of relief work. Meanwhile, Brennan Bernardino—entering the game with runners on first and second with two outs in the top of the seventh inning—took four pitches to record his out.
Antonio Senzatela—one of the league leaders in wins above replacement for relief pitchers—was tasked with recording the final six outs of the game. After a 1-2-3 eighth inning he entered the top of the ninth with a lead. After a leadoff walk and a bloop single by Mets top prospect Carson Benge, he quickly locked in. Senzatela struck out his next two hitters before the final out was recorded via a popout.
His ERA for the season now sits at just 1.11 in 24.1 innings of work.
For much of this series against the Mets, the problem for the Rockies has been a failure to score runs and a failure to capitalize on opportunities to do so. The Rockies found themselves down late in a low-scoring affair despite strong performances from the pitching staff. Mickey Moniak’s hitting streak was brought to an end and all seemed quiet.
Then Jake McCarthy happened.
You’d be forgiven if you hadn’t expected much of McCarthy. The off-season trade acquisition from the Arizona Diamondbacks got off to a cold start. Through his first 15 games in a Rockies uniform he hit just .200/.300/.314 with two doubles and a triple. He had drawn a decent number of walks and limited his strikeouts, but overall there just wasn’t much to talk about with his at-bats.
However, McCarthy’s bat had quietly started to click over the last few weeks. Coming into this afternoon, he was hitting .333/.382/.600 over the last 12 contests with three doubles and a triple. He hit his first home run of the season last night, and had drawn three walks to three strikeouts.
This afternoon, McCarthy was responsible for tying the game. In the bottom of the sixth with runners in scoring position he blooped a double into center field.
In the bottom of the eighth inning, the Rockies had the bases loaded thanks to back-to-back singles by TJ Rumfield and Troy Johnston combined with a Willi Castro walk. The Rockies needed something they had struggled to get from their hitters all season: a clutch hit.
McCarthy delivered, slugging a high fly ball over the right field wall for—after being reviewed for potentially going foul—a grand slam. It was the Rockies’ first home run worth three or more runs of the season.
The Rockies are headed to the City of Brotherly Love (and cheesesteaks) for a three game set against the Philadelphia Phillies. Chase Dollander will be making the start without an opener against Phillies lefty Jesús Luzardo.
May 5, 2026; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Detroit Pistons guard Daniss Jenkins (24) dribbles defended by Cleveland Cavaliers guard Max Strus (2) in the second half during game one of the second round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Little Caesars Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images | Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images
Today’s NBA playoff slate features two conference semifinal games:
Cavaliers vs. Pistons (Game 2) at 7 p.m. ET — Detroit leads the series 1-0
Lakers vs. Thunder (Game 2) at 9:30 p.m. ET — Oklahoma City leads the series 1-0
COVERS INTEL: 
